My new "budget" Julius Caesar

History is a passion for many of us, and when we can combine this interest with coin's collecting we have the best of both world. There was a Julius Caesar type that I was searching for quite a long time. I had the opportunity to acquire an example for only a few tens of dollars; It has a lot of mileage, but I can only afford it in this kind of shape... And like my wife says when she examines my old damaged face, it is certainly a sign of maturity !

Julius Caesar denarius
47 BC (traveling mint in Africa)
3.50g 17mm
Obv: diademed head of Venus right. Rev: CAESAR legend with Aeneas walking left, carrying his father Anchises and palladium.
Syd 1013. Craw. 458/1
Pliego Sale 52


This issue was probably struck in Africa during Caesar’s campaign against Metellus Scipio and Labienus in 48-47 BC. The types are purely propagandistic in nature; the obverse depicts Venus, from whom Caesar claimed descent via Iulus, son of the legendary Trojan prince Aeneas, who was himself the son of Anchises and Venus. The Roman nobility was always at pains to claim descent from either the gods or from mythical heroes, or even more often from both. The reverse depicts Aeneas’ flight from the doomed city of Troy, with his elderly father Anchises upon his shoulder. As seen in the first books of the Aeneid, Aeneas is one of the few Trojans who were not killed in battle or enslaved when Troy fell. The city having been sacked by the Greeks, Aeneas, after being commanded by the gods to flee, gathered a group, collectively known as the Aeneads, who then travelled to Italy and became progenitors of the Roman people. Although not struck on as massive a scale as Caesar's well-known elephant type of 49-48 BC, this type is considerably more common than any other coin of Caesar, and was struck to pay for Caesar's protracted North African campaign against the Pompeians. Shortly after these coins were struck, Caesar returned to Rome as master of the Roman world. Now please show us your JC examples or any coin of historical value !

 

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Nice writeup - and coin - @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix. Here is my lifetime portrait JC:



Denarius, Crawford, Roman Republican Coins (RRC), No. 480/8 (March 44 BC - Alfoldi)

Coin obverse depiction: Julius Caesar wreathed head facing right

Inscription clockwise from right: [CAESAR DICT] PERPETVo (Dictator in Perpetuity)

Coins reverse depiction: Personfication of Venus (possibly Venus genetrix?) standing, facing left, holding statuette of victory on palm of right hand and supporting vertical scepter with left hand

Inscription vertical to right: L BVCA (L. Aemilius Buca, Moneyer)

Weight: 3.5g

Provenance: Ex Chris Martin

 

Great type from an amazing point in history!
I hear you on the wife seemingly enjoying reminding me of my face ever more showing signs of "maturity"!
Mine is a fouree:
and the epic elephant coin, also from his traveling mint:

And lastly, the coin that got him killed! (Not nearly as nice as the beauty @jamesicus just shared. But one I'm happy to own)

 

When it comes to JC, I don't think there is any bad one to have.


Julius Caesar (February-March 44 B.C)
AR Denarius
O: Wreathed head of Caesar right; CAESAR downward to right, DICT PERPETVO upward to left.
R:Venus Victrix standing left, holding Victory in outstretched right hand and vertical scepter in left; L • BVC[A] downwards to right. L. Aemilius Buca, moneyer.
Rome Mint
3.92g
17mm
Crawford 480/8; Alföldi Type XIV, 62–3, 67, and 69 (A13/R22); CRI 105; Sydenham 1061; RSC 23; RBW 1683.

 

Oh darn, guess I have to share my scarce, historically important coin again :

 

Thanks, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix ! Great coin, and nice writeup. CONGRATS nailing that one. I always REALLY enjoyed the story behind that coin. I wish I had one.

LOL, very much agreed!


RR Julius Caesar AR Denarius 49 BCE Traveling Mint Elephant trampling snake-Pontificates Sear 1399 Craw 443-1

 

Good time to show my lifetime JC just re-photographed.
JULIUS CAESAR, 44 BC.
E Dupondus, 45 ABC. Mint in Italy, Rare
Roman Republic
Dia.: 26 mm
Wt.: 13.05 g
Obv.: Bust of Victory right
Rev.: C CLOVI PRAEF Minerva advancing left, snake, spear and shield.
Ref.: Cr 476.